Mr. Carter
CONFIDENTIAL
Reference.......
Hong Kong Education Department
Mr. Speak's Representations
I showed the Governor the attached copy of the memorandum sent by Mr. Speak to Mr. Royle. You will see that he has annotated it extensively in the margin and also attached a covering minute.
2.
The Governor was more sorrowful than
annoyed at Mr. Speak's intemperate criticisms. You will see that his own assessment of Mr. Speak is very charitable. I gained the same impression from the Director of Education, Mr. Gregg. I did not mention Mr. Speak's memorandum to him but
introduced his name into the conversation.
Mr. Gregg spontaneously remarked that Mr. Speak
was a very good man and was level headed and
evi Rank that reliable. It was also thought Mr. Gregg largely accepted the criticism about the examination for entry into secondary schools and the gap after
leaving primary school before employment. He said that only 15 per cent of primary school leavers went on to fully supported secondary schools and a further 12 per cent to assista non-profit making secondary schools. Others went on to unassisted non-profit making or profit making secondary schools, making a total of 75 per cent in all. An element which worried him was those
who were not quite clever enough to obtain entry to the fully supported or assisted secondary schools but too poor to pay for admission to the remainder. It was for this reason that the new
junior technical schools were being introduced. They would however be very expensive.
3.
I think that the Governor would be content
for us to dispose of Mr. Speak's letter without
further reference to him. This might best be done by inviting Mr. Royle to call on Lord Shepherd. I think we probably have enough material to brief
/Lord
CONFIDENTIAL